In Matthew chapter 26 we find the story of Jesus’ betrayal by Judas Iscariot. The gospel writer Luke says Satan entered Judas’ heart to betray Him (22:3, 4). Matthew describes how Judas went out and conspired with the chief priests on how to lay hold of Jesus, and agreed to hand Him over for thirty pieces of silver (vv. 14-16).
As Jesus sat down to celebrate Passover with His twelve disciples, He informed them that one of them would betray Him. The Scripture says, “Each of them began to say to Him, “Lord, is it I?’” (v. 22). There were many times that Jesus’ disciples had earlier called Him Rabbi, but in this intimate setting all of them save one called Him “Lord.” We read about Judas who “answered and said, ‘Rabbi, is it I?’” (v. 25). Eleven disciples acknowledged Jesus as Lord, and one called Him his Rabbi.
The word Rabbi means “teacher.” Jesus’ disciples followed Him for three years, and witnessed His miracles and heard His teachings. They eventually came to the place where they moved past seeing Him as teacher, and realized Him as the long awaited Messiah and Son of God, and had faith to call Him their Lord - that is, all but one. The one who failed to say, “Lord,” was the very individual who betrayed Him to be crucified.
When the crowd came to seize Jesus on order of the chief priests, Judas was leading the way (v. 47). To signify which man the crowd should take, he betrayed Jesus with a kiss (vv. 48-49); but the Scripture emphasizes how Jesus still loved Judas and called him His friend (v. 50).
Jesus’ true followers have bold faith to acknowledge Him as their Lord; however those who only see Him as a great teacher forfeit their faith to the crowd. Peer pressure and secular ideology has swayed many from signifying Jesus as Lord. “Teacher” is much easier to say. When we say “Lord” we risk ridicule from the world; therefore many people betray Jesus with the kiss of soft-spoken words of political correctness. Many Christians are even afraid to say the name of Jesus in public.
If we cannot call Jesus our Lord, we betray Him. If Jesus is Lord, then He has the authority to establish morality. His teachings on morality are found in the gospels of the New Testament. If Jesus is not Lord, we can pick and choose what we want to believe, and that is why it is easier to call Him teacher. If we say we are a “believer” but only call Jesus our teacher, who knows how many times we sell out to the world.
If you have ever sold your faith in Jesus Christ to the world to gain the approval of men, you can be forgiven. The Scripture says Judas realized his wrong and was remorseful and “brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders, saying, ‘I have sinned by betraying innocent blood’” (27:4, 5). The Bible says, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 Jn. 1:9).